After a couple of months of not reading any books at all in the spring, summer was a very fertile reading time for me. I think that planning out what I’m going to read each season gives me a direction and a goal, which helps get me started with reading. But I also read quite a few books that weren’t even on my list but were well worth the detour. Somehow, magically, reading always leads to more and better reading. The hard part is sometimes just getting started. Following in the footsteps of Anne Bogel’s Quick Lit posts, here’s a recap of what I’ve been reading lately, with quick reviews and general thoughts.
*All links are Amazon affiliate links, which means I may get a small percentage of the total price at no extra cost to you if you purchase your book through my link.
What I’ve been reading lately
Small Space Style by Whitney Leigh Morris
This was an introduction to what I think is quickly becoming one of my favorite new genres, interior design books. This one in particular was incredibly inspiring to me since our space is going to be limited for the foreseeable future. One of the things about living in a big city is that there’s not a ton of room and you have to get a bit more creative in your storage solutions. I love how Whitney does it so beautifully and naturally.
Finish by Jon Acuff
I’ve been following Jon Acuff on Instagram for a while now and his posts always either make me laugh out loud or inspire me to take action on something. This is the first book of his that I’ve read and I loved it. I’m not very good at finishing the things that I start. This book had so many helpful and practical tips. One that stands out to me is to keep a list of projects you want to do after you finish your current one. The anticipation of the next project will help you stay motivated with the current one.
Island of Sea Women by Lisa See
Even though this was a beautiful book, I thought about abandoning it several times throughout. It’s heartbreaking and hard to read at times, but I’m so glad I finished it. I think it’s important to try to better understand other cultures and the stories they’ve experienced. This book gave me greater understanding and empathy for those living in the Korean peninsula during the 20th century.
The Next Millionaire Next Door by Thomas Stanley and Sarah Stanley Fallaw
Parts of this book were really interesting and parts of this book were dry. I have never read the original so I’m not sure how it compares. One thing I found interesting was the fact that your income level has little to do with whether you will be wealthy in the long term. Even people who make hundreds of thousands of dollars every year can still live paycheck-to-paycheck, and those who live off of teacher’s salaries can eventually become millionaires if they’re wise with their savings.
The Magnolia Story by Chip and Joanna Gaines
When this first came out, I wanted to roll my eyes every time someone raved about it. When everyone likes something, it’s hard for me to jump on board (maybe because I think I’m too cool? I don’t know, we can dissect that another day). But Chip and Jo’s story is truly delightful and well worth the read. I can see why so many people are part of their fan club. It was also inspiring and made me want to get out there and just try stuff like they’re so good at doing even if it seems risky or scary.
Preach to Yourself by Hayley Morgan
In this book, Hayley addresses the gap between what you believe and what you do. She asks the question, “Why can’t our brains take something we intellectually know, something that seems easy, and process it into something we just get with our whole selves.” I have about a million highlights from this book and think it’s definitely worth the read.
Homebody by Joanna Gaines
Since I liked that first interior design book so much, I checked this one out from the library too. There’s a fair amount of advice and how-to, but for the most part it’s just really pretty pictures, which was just fine by me. I love Joanna’s philosophy of embracing the space you have and making it work for the family that you have.
The Infernal Devices Series by Cassandra Clare
This series was a delightful surprise for me. Not only did I enjoy the fantasy world that Clare created, but I fell in love with the characters too. I for sure wasn’t happy with all the plot points, but you know it’s a good book when you have strong opinions on what happens to the characters.
The River by Peter Heller
This book was heavily talked about when it first came out earlier this summer and I can see why. I had zero interest in reading about canoeing down a river and wildfires and the like, but Peter Heller’s writing is so good that it grabbed me in the first chapter and I couldn’t stop reading. It was such a moving, beautiful story all the way through.
City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
I didn’t realize when I started the Infernal Devices series that it was a prequel to this series which came out first. It was a bit challenging for me to love this book as much as the others. I could see how the author grew before starting the second series, so as a result, this one felt a little flat to me. However, there are millions of people who love this series, so if you’re thinking about reading them start with this one and know that it only gets better from here.
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb
This was another one I decided to read purely because so many people were raving about it this summer. And I too was delighted. It’s written from the perspective of a therapist who is also in therapy. I laughed, I cried, I smiled wistfully. And as a non-emotional person, that’s saying quite a lot.
Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki
This is a classic in the personal finance world so I’m glad to have finally checked it off my list. To be honest, I wouldn’t recommend it to friends. I think that when it first came out it was probably full of some novel concepts. There are also quite a few useful tips peppered throughout. But all in all, it wasn’t worth wading through all of the ramblings for the occasional actionable advice when you can get that information much more readily available in other books. Also, I might just be bitter because I didn’t feel like he had a lot of respect for his dad.
Simple Path to Wealth by JL Collins
This is a personal finance book that I really enjoyed. He speaks this questioner’s language by telling you all the why’s when telling you what to do with your money. Per his advice, I’ve already made some big changes with our finances. I love that I feel confident in those decisions and know why they’re the right move. This is the single-best resource I’ve found about investing. If that’s something you’re ready to start doing, definitely read this book.
I would love to hear, what have you been reading lately? Anything you’d highly recommend? Anything you’d recommend not reading?
